WORDS

You know, it says in Matthew 12:37 that by our words we will be acquitted, and by them we will be condemned. It also talks about how we will have to give an account for all the careless words we speak. And that got me thinking, if our words are spoken about like this in the bible, they must be important. Why then do we not take more care and put more thought into the words that come out of our mouths.
You know, I had this one experience when I went to Africa on a team of people. We all got along great, but I always used to joke around about my weight and one or two of the girls on my team too. And they all knew I was joking, so I thought it was ok. It turns out though that another girl on the team had massive weight issues when she arrived home. And, I’m not sure whether my joking about my weight had anything to do with what happened with her. But it’s scary for me to think that I may have been the reason for her having weight problems. And even though she eventually got over her weight problems, it got me thinking about all the other people’s lives that have been stuffed up through what other people have said to them. And not just weight, but also on other things like when you rip someone off, or say careless words without thinking, or participate in conversations you shouldn’t. And your words can even affect yourself depending on whether they come from a bitter heart, etc.
I know a lot of people who have been hurt from what people have said to them. Whether its promises that have been un-kept, or harsh words. I have seen people’s lives be messed up because of what people have said to others.
Words can make, or break people. An encouraging word can lift someone up and make them feel worth something, and a harsh word can crush people’s spirit, their very life. A promise kept can bring people closer together, and a promise un-kept can tear them apart, not mentioning the deep trust issues that develop from un-kept promises.
So it’s important to make sure that your words are not ruining someone else’s lives. Make sure you think before you speak. After all, you will be judged according to your words.
So many people are turned off Christianity because of hypocrites. People who say one thing and do another. I don’t want to be responsible for someone going to hell for eternity because of some careless words I speak. Be an example of a true follower of Christ and only say things that will edify Christ.
People’s lives on earth (and your own) can be ruined and wrecked because of your words, but the thing I’m more worried about is how it affects their and your eternity. Are your words hurting others? Is Christ being glorified by your words? Matthew 12 says that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So what you say is who you are inside. When I thought about this verse it shocked me, because I realized that even though I participated in conversations I shouldn’t have and didn’t think it was right what was being said, I still went along with it, and that was who I was to others. What others see is who I am to them.
Set a good example to others through what you say. I don’t want to be responsible for ruining other peoples lives both here on earth, but more so in eternity.

Living Letters

Are you the fragrance of life to people, or are you the fragrance of death to people?

The other day I was playing soccer in the local church soccer comp. and I was disgusted that the other team could play in the manner in which they did, whilst still proclaiming to everyone that they are Christians. We were winning for the most part of the game by a couple of goals, so it wasn’t a tight contest, but some of the language that came out of some of their mouths was disgusting. Not only that, but on a number of occasions one of our players was pushed over by one of their players, and all of their guys would congratulate the player that injured the player on our team. On one occasion one of our players was bleeding from the head…

The manner in which they were playing was not only rough and disgusting, but it was unchristian. And it made me disappointed to know that many people would evaluate Christians from these people. No wonder so many people believe that Christians are hypocrites. If they are basing their opinion off people like this than its true.

I believe that this is something that every Christian should always keep in mind.

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 says ‘You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts’.

What this verse is saying is that we are all letters of Christ, and that everyone is reading the letter we write. So then, that begs the question of what it is that your letter says. Everyone, whether Christian or not, is telling the world something through who they are. The actions you do, the words you say, the morals and values that you hold to. The manner in which you react to hard things. It all says something about who you are. It is the letter that EVERYONE is reading.

What letter are people reading about your life? Do you swear? Do you get drunk? Do you get angry easily? Are you impatient? Do you speak without thinking? Do you act without thinking? Is there anything that you do that you know God is not pleased about?

Repentance is deciding not to do wrong anymore, and choosing to do right. Repent of your wrong. Ensure that the letter that people read about you is the fragrance of life, and not the fragrance of death.

N.B. Something else that I learnt from the soccer match is that knowledge does not equal wisdom. One of my ex school teachers (from a Christian school) was in the other soccer team and was instigating a lot of the bad behaviours and encouraging it. This teacher I used to hold in high regard, but his actions showed the opposite of wisdom.

WISDOM= seeing things through Gods eyes and evaluating all you do and say by that (and acting accordingly). Its of eternal worth.

Knowledge= facts figures, ways of doing things. For the most part it is not of eternal worth (those things that are of God are of eternal worth).

Slow Down!

What is the point to life? You know, I believe that sometimes we get in such a hurry and we get caught up in the busyness of day to day life that we forget what it is we are doing it for. We forget the point.
You know, 2 days ago I was down the street and I was crossing the road at a crossing, but I started a meter off the crossing, but by half-way I was completely on the crossing. Now there was this car coming, and I could see they didn’t want to stop, but I kept walking, and by this time I’m completely on the crossing, and you know what, just as I was walking off the crossing they blew their horn at me. And just as he did that I turned and looked to see this guy staring at me, by this time he was speeding over the crossing, but you could see the hatred that had built up with in him through his eyes. Then you know what he did, he flipped me off. And you know, I don’t know what satisfaction or revenge he felt he got from that action, but it got me wondering about how we can get so caught up in every day life, that we lose sight of what is important. Our priorities become all over the place and we become confused, and even the simplest smallest things can tick us off.
You know, I’m not that guy. I don’t know his situation or circumstance. But I don’t understand how waiting an extra 3 seconds at a crossing is so important to become angry about. Sometimes in life we can become so focused on what we are doing and what is important to us that we forget that there are other people around. And you know, what is the point to that. I believe that life is about relationships. Well, first our relationship with God, then our relationship with others. Its like the good Samaritan story. The 2 people were so focused on what they were doing they couldn’t find the time to help the guy that was beaten up. Sometimes in life we need to slow down, like the Samaritan, and see what is important in life. Because you can achieve all that you want in life, but it is your relationship with God, and others that counts in the end.
Make sure that you don’t get caught up in the busyness and hurry in life that you forget what the point to it all is.

It even goes with the things of God.
Prov 19:2 says ‘It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.’

Eternal Perspective

During my life I have found that the most important thing, besides believing in and following God, is to make sure that you always have an Eternal Perspective in everything. Having an eternal perspective means viewing things through Gods eyes. It means understanding the happenings and events of your life on earth are but only preparation for your life in eternity. Therefore we must always have an eternal perspective on everything that happens in life so that we may not jeopardize our eternity in heaven to an eternity in hell through our actions and reactions.
Having an eternal perspective means that when we worry, or are hurt, angry, frustrated, confused, when we feel helpless, and any other feelings and emotions we may experience, you can just trust that God has everything in His hands and stay calm and collected in any situation or circumstance because you have the peace of God with you.
Having an eternal perspective means that you do not worry about dying, because that just starts the beginning of eternity with Jesus. Having an eternal perspective means that you don’t value the things of the world, but rather the things of God (e.g. saving people from eternal hell and damnation) because in the end all that matters is your relationship with Jesus, which determines whether you are going to heaven or hell.
The life of someone with an eternal perspective is spent trying to bring people into relationship with Jesus to save them from eternal hell.
Do you have an eternal perspective? Are you making a REAL difference in the world? Many people spend their life trying to make a difference in the world, but the only REAL difference that has any value in eternity is whether people are saved or not. Where is your focus at?

Priorities

What things are you buying while people around the world are dying?
A couple of days ago I was on my way driving to Sydney just thinking about cars (as I’m looking for one currently), and at one point I looked around at all the cars around me, and it was interesting to observe that the cars I could immediately see would all have been worth about 15 grand or more (some a lot more), and of those cars virtually all of them would cost a lot to run and maintain. And in that moment of looking around at these cars I couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of despair and inequity. Now I’m not suggesting that these people that owned these cars didn’t deserve them. Infact they’ve probably worked very hard to acquire them. But it made me think about priorities. In that moment I wondered how many of them donate to aid organizations that assist people to survive each week. So many people overseas are contracting HIV aids, catching malaria, are malnourished, and commonly die from these preventable diseases. And all of this not because they are lazy. Infact a lot of people in these situations work much harder and endure many more hardships than we do. These people struggle to survive each week, let alone think about getting an education. And a lot of the things such as HIV aids, malaria, and malnourishment are easily prevented or cured. And it would only take a little bit to help people in these situations. Yet we live in a materialistic world. Were too interested in the new i-pad, or the better car we can get, or the video games we can play, or whatever it is that you like or want.
And by no means am I saying that people with these things should be condemned right now. Everyone would be in the wrong if this were the case. But if you’re not doing anything for the cause of the needy and less fortunate people in society (or ones overseas) than I believe you should feel convicted right now. Where is your sense of morality?? Where is society’s sense of morality?
It’s easy for us to see pictures of orphans overseas and be upset for them. It’s so easy for us to sympathize with the horrific living conditions many people are forced to live in (just go to the slums in India and the Philippines), whilst we sit down in our air conditioned comfortable homes to a meal that would be 3 days worth of food for them.
And once again, I’m not trying to condemn everyone that has a comfortable house or these kinds of luxuries. But are you helping those people that can’t help themselves?
In the bible in Ecclesiastes Ch 2:10-11 Solomon says ‘I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind: nothing was gained under the sun’.
What this is telling us, and rightly so is that whatever wealth or whatever possessions you acquire for yourself is all for nothing in the end. Once you pass away, the money you gained or the wealth you built means nothing. Material possessions will eventually rot away, so the man who goes around his whole life trying to acquire material possessions lives a meaningless life. Solomon calls it ‘chasing after the wind’ because it’s a pointless act.
It’s too easy for us to see those that need help, and then go and buy the latest gadget without a thought. Morality is proven by action! It’s easy to sympathize with the needy, but it means nothing if action isn’t taken. Re-evaluate your priorities and consider whether you should be doing more to help those genuinely in need. This will give you a reward far greater than any material possession.